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Sunday, November 18, 2012

pasta with brussels sprouts and other vegan thanksgiving recipe ideas

When prepping to run an 8K, a relatively short distance, carbo-loading really is not necessary. But I still like the psychological boost that a big bowl of pre-race pasta gives me [I'll make up any excuse to eat pasta!]. So I created this recipe using some gorgeous Brussels sprouts, sweetened via slow cooking and brightened with some lemon zest and red hot pepper flakes. This is a no-brainer Thanksgiving side – you can double, triple or even quadruple the recipe, depending on the size of your family.

Not to give things away, but the 8K went superbly – I'll tell you more about that and Team Vegan Philly's results soon. Until then, here's the recipe and a few more vegan Thanksgiving dish ideas in case you are in search of inspiration.

Heat oil and red pepper flakes in a large pot over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook until softish, about 5 minutes. Toss in the Brussels sprouts and stir until the color deepens, about 5 minutes. Don't fret if they get a bit browned. This is normal and will actually help add sweetness to the dish.

Add the broth, reduce heat and simmer/cook slowly for about 10-15 minutes until the sprouts are soft. Add more broth, 1 T at a time, if needed.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. But make it al dente, please!

Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the cooked Brussels sprout mixture. Stir in the zest, adjust the seasonings and enjoy, either solo or topped with nutritional yeast. One night, I had some leftover Helen's Vegan Chorizo and added it to this dish, and the combination truly sang. [I don't care for this product on its own– it does not hold together as a sausage should – but as a flavoring, it's golden.]

I actually have heard of recipes like this one before and they tend to be very popular! I cant wait to try this one for Thanksgiving (my first veggie thanksgiving!. I found some really yummy recipes in this article too: share the veglove!